1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to farm implements, and more particularly to a minimum tillage implement to prepares rows in a field for planting.
2. General Background of the Invention
When preparing a field for planting, a farmer usually plows his field, forms the field into rows, tops the rows, tills the rows adjacent the top of the rows, then plants and applies chemicals (fertilizer, herbicides and/or insecticides). Ideally, the soil in the rows is allowed to compact before the rows are topped and minimally tilled before planting-the compacted soil provides a firm base on which the sprouting plants push to "break ground". Usually, the topping and tilling of the rows are done in one pass over the rows, and the planting and chemical application done in another, requiring two separate passes over the rows after the rows have been formed.
Various systems have been proposed to combine the tilling and planting implements such that both operations may be carried out in a single pass.
One such system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,684, comprises a U-shaped sharper having horizontally extending blades disposed therein, and a planter carried behind the shaper. The leading edge of the shaper shapes the tops of the rows, and the blades pulverize the soil adjacent the tops of the rows. Dirt tends to spill over the top of the shaper, however, clogging the planter wheel and causing the seeds to be planted at uneven depths. Thus, this system has not enjoyed much popularity among farmers.